Did You Hear That-?
by 0Blue-Bird0
Summary: Even though the Kings have gathered for a (mostly) peaceful meal at Komatsu's restaurant, they soon learn that some nasty rumors about Komatsu have been floating around. Maybe even worse that the rumors is the fact that Komatsu doesn't seemed troubled by them at all. hinted Komatsu/Kings warnings for swearing and male/male undertones Takes place before the 4 Beasts Arc


This is a oneshot based off of an idea that I and a friend created a few months back. Mainly that there are some slanderous rumors floating around about the nature of Komatsu's relationship with the Kings. It's Komatsu/Kings centric (although it's only hinted at) so

warnings for some swearing, and hinted OT5-ness

* * *

It wasn't everyday that the Kings could take enough time out of their training schedules to meet up together and have dinner at Komatsu's restaurant. By the time that they had arrived at the Hotel Gourmet it was already dark outside and the place had been mostly vacated. The only people still in the building were the cleaning crews, about a dozen waiters, and most of the kitchen staff.

While Toriko was a relatively common sight at the restaurant, the waiter in charge of seating them trips up a little when he welcomes the other Kings; either because he was not expecting all of them to be here at once, or because the four of them could be- even without any of them trying- intimidating at times. Either way, the Kings don't pay him any mind.

Sani was picking at Zebra's wardrobe choices- which, in Zebra's defense, were slightly better than his usual wife beater/cargo pants combo- while Zebra was telling him- very loudly mind you- several ways in which he could either shut up or fuck off. Coco, the gentleman that he was, was focusing on staying out of their petty squabble entirely, while Toriko was already focusing on the aromas that hung in the air. "Yuuummm," he moaned as he identified come of the smells in his head; Rainbow Finned Tuna, Jupiter Melons, and Cherry Possum!- who could blame him for drooling a bit?

"I wouldn't even wash Quinn with those rags!" Sani scoffed with his nose up in the air. By contrast to Zebra's 'commoner garb', his own suit was a pristine pearl color and made from the finest threads from the ultra rare Craft Worm- a creature that, depending on several conditions, spun several different types of threads ranging from soft cotton to the most fabulous of silks. His shirt was the same indigo as his eyes, and a small handkerchief, also the same color as his eyes, was artfully arranged in his breast pocket. The whole piece was an Arachne Original with a price tag so large that only he and a few others in the world could have afforded it. His beautiful hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that had been woven into a loose plait halfway down his back. He didn't bother with any accessories because he was already radiant even without them. He found that Zebra, by comparison, looked completely shabby. Although he would have rather cut off his beautiful locks than pay Zebra a compliment- even if he had earned it. The only point Sani gave him was for having his disgusting gash of a mouth sewn up for the occasion.

Zebra, on the other hand, literally did not give a fuck. He had only come here to sample the kid's food- to hell with these other bastards. In fact, the only thing that appealed to him right now more than food was a fight. He gripped the top of Sani's head- the guy squealed in outrage- and leered down at him. "Back off princess." He growled. "Unless you're lookin' for a fight you prissy bastard."

"As if you disgustin' ape!" Sani shouted up at him. They were like a pair of superpowered five year olds, and only years of practice enabled Coco to tune the both of them out. Like Sabercats and Timberdogs, nothing good ever came out of the two of them being in the same space together. Really, being around them had made it easier to bear some of his more rowdy fortune telling clients. And since he was the least distracted of the group he also was the one who spotted Komatsu first.

"Komatsu-kun." He said with a small smile as Komatsu ran towards them.

He knelt down to hug him as Komatsu shouted, "Coco-san!", in his ear. Like always, he was able to let go of his personal boundaries around Komatsu-kun. Komatsu's decision to disregard Coco's status as a 'poisonous man' was one of the dumbest decisions that Coco had known him to make, but it was also one of the most endearing. Their embrace ended too quickly when Komatsu broke away to throw his arms around Toriko's midsection. "Toriko-san!" Toriko laughed and patted Komatsu on the top of the head.

"You smell delicious Komatsu." He said with another laugh. Komatsu's eyes lit up.

"You must be smelling the Venus Beef. We got an unexpected shipment of them this morning and I hadn't expected the smell to be quite so strong."

Sani puffed out his cheeks at not having Komatsu's full attention on him. "'Matsu!" With a few feelers he lifted Komatsu off of the ground and held him in a tight hug. Getting his expensive suit dirty or wrinkled was the last thing on his mind at the moment. Komatsu, who was already too used to being lifted up like this, smiled and said,

"Hello Sani-san!" Zebra loomed over the both of them and Komatsu looked up and said, "and Zebra-san too!" Sani glared up at Zebra.

"The cooking better be good tonight Kid." Zebra said in lieu of a regular greeting. As if he would have expected anything but Komatsu's best.

Really, Komatsu appreciated all of the work it must have taken for all of them to get together like this for him. They must have all been super busy with requests from the President. He only hoped that he had been able to incorporate these feelings of gratitude into his cooking. He pushed against Sani's chest a little and Sani set him down. Komatsu's eager smile turned slightly nervous. "Thank you for coming everyone." He said.

"Unfortunately we're a bit short staffed tonight, but please enjoy your meal tonight." He said, shifting into the role of Chef Komatsu, Head Chef of the Hotel Gourmet. He led them to the dining room, where all of the regular sized tables had been pushed against the wall, and a giant table had been placed in the center of the room. Some of the waiters were already unloading food onto the table, but they all seemed intent on not looking anywhere but at the table. All of the Kings noticed the strange sort of tension in the air, but none of them mentioned it because it seemed irrelevant. "I'll start getting more courses out." Komatsu promised before rushing back into the kitchen.

The Kings settled down, one on each side of the table, and it was one of the rare times when they weren't annoying each other. The call of food trumped their usual petty arguments. As the waiters continued piling food on the table, Toriko put his hands together and said, "I give my thanks to all of the ingredients of the world. Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu." The other Kings repeated before they all dug into the food. Toriko's first bite brought tears to his eyes. It was Citrus Pheasant- a bird whose feather's tasted like an array of citruses. The bird's meat acted as a palate cleanser. The whole dish sparked his taste buds to life. "Yum!" he moaned with a dreamy expression on his face. Halfway through the Pheasant, he was already reaching for a Desert Roast.

Zebra attacked his food in his usual vigor. He may not have been able to rattle off everything on his plate, but he was still able to enjoy the food to the fullest extent. Both he and Toriko seemed to inhale their food rather than actually chew it.

Sani and Coco, however, were a bit more civilized in the way that they ate. They both ate slowly enough to savor the flavors, but not slowly enough that they would lose to either Toriko or Zebra. Sani, for the most part, focused on the food's aesthetic appeal, as well as the taste. The feathers of the Swan of Paradise were beautifully vibrant and the various sauces scattered around the table were visually stimulating as well. He hummed in pleasure at Komatsu's growth. The only thing that was missing, he thought regretfully, was some music to fit the atmosphere.

Coco was marveling at Komatsu's finesse. While the food had strong and interesting flavors, it wasn't overwhelming. The memory of the flavors stayed in his mind, but one dish didn't necessarily drown out another one. To say that this was talent was an understatement.

Occasionally there would be a minor squabble over a dish and sometimes Zebra would glance over at the kitchen with a 'more pronounced than usual' glare on his face, but the food continued to leave the kitchen at a steady pace. Everything seemed to be going well until towards the end of the meal when Zebra suddenly stood up and knocked his chair over. He started towards the kitchen, but when the Kings moved to stop him, they heard what he had heard. There were shouts coming from the kitchen and the doors were thrown open as a man stormed through them.

"I said I'm not fucking apologizing!" he shouted. A few of the chefs, Komatsu included, followed behind him.

"Evans!" they said. Even the waiters froze at the guy continued to make a fool out of himself.

"Shut up! I refuse to work for a second rate guy like that!"He jabbed his finger at Komatsu and Zebra had the sudden urge to break that finger. Or maybe even the whole arm. He _really _wasn't picky. Meanwhile Komatsu stood with clenched fists and the closest expression to anger that any of the Kings had seen on him yet.

"Evans-san, stop!" Komatsu started after Evans. Despite his posture his voice was mostly full of disappointment. "I won't allow you to act so unprofessional in front of the customers. Please leave for the night." Evans gave him a disbelieving smile.

"_I'm _unprofessional?" he threw his hands up in the air. "That's the _last_ thing that I want to hear from _you_!" When he looked at Komatsu again, he looked like he was almost pleading. "At least try to say something." His tone turned demanding. "At least tell us that the rumors aren't true dammit!" the volume of Evan's voice increased, and when it looked like he might get violent, he was suddenly very aware of the Kings and their monstrous auras.

Komatsu answered him anyway. "Of course they're not!" he shouted, before he lowered his own volume. "Evans-san, if my cooking skills aren't enough to prove that to you then I don't know what else I can say." Komatsu's voice softened with disappointment. "If you can't believe in my professionalism, and would rather believe something so malicious, then it's best that you not work here." It sounded like a suggestion but carried the weight of an order. Evans looked mad enough to spit.

"Whatever." He said as he stormed towards the door. "I'll turn in my resignation letter tomorrow." He said before he slammed the doors after himself. Only Zebra was able to hear the excessively nasty things that he said as he left the building. The cocky ass shit made his blood boil; as did a few other things that the guy had been muttering about. Coco put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down while Toriko stood up.

"What the hell is going on Komatsu?" he asked and Komatsu gave them an apologetic smile- although he looked so tired when he was doing it- and said,

"Give me a minute Toriko-san." He turned to the other chefs and waiters out there. His more dutiful employees, the ones that he didn't have to worry about, had remained in the kitchen cooking. He told the ones around him very clearly, "Listen everyone," Komatsu's voice was strong despite how tired he looked. "I didn't want to have to address those rumors because they are untrue. Toriko-san, and Coco-san, and Sani-san, and Zebra-san are all better people than that." The Kings stared at Komatsu. How did they fit into all of this? "I'm asking you to trust me, and to trust my skills as a chef." Komatsu said. "However, if you can't do that then I don't want to force anyone to stay who doesn't want to work under me." Disappointment radiated off of him. "Anyone who wants to leave is free to leave."

There was a pause. during which a few people awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot and glanced at each other, but no one left. "Fine." Komatsu clapped his hands. "Then please get back to what you were working on." The waiters went back to unloading food off of the carts and taking empty plates back to the kitchen while the chefs filed back onto the kitchen, and Komatsu was about to follow them when he felt a pull around his waist- similar to that of a rope. Since he couldn't see anything obstructing him, he could only guess as to what, or rather who, was doing it. "Ah, Sani- Wah!" Komatsu jumped when he noticed how suddenly close the Kings were to him. They all had the same expression but it was Toriko who spoke first.

"Komatsu, explain what's going on." The Kings had formed a sort of wall around him- an unconscious barrier against the outside world.

"Everyone," Komatsu said sheepishly. "I'm sorry for the poor display just now, but it's nothing serious. It's certainly not something that customers should see." But they weren't ordinary customers. They were his partners- even if Toriko was the only one with the official title.

"No- What was that all about 'Matsu?" Sani demanded and Komatsu insisted that it was nothing to worry about.

"They're just some baseless rumors. I've lost a few chefs over them but even then, the people that left weren't exactly my best employees." He tried to explain.

"That little shit wasn't muttering about 'some rumors' Kid." Zebra muttered darkly.

"Is it about us Komatsu-kun?" Coco asked, and the embarrassed look on Komatsu's face was enough of an answer.

"What does that even mean?" Toriko asked, looking for an answer from either Coco or Komatsu. Coco shook his head and looked back at Komatsu.

"After dinner." Komatsu finally said. "I'll tell you all after dinner." As a chef, the idea of disturbing a meal with something like this made him uncomfortable. The Kings realized this and let him return to the kitchen- they were fully intent on making him talk afterwards. The rest of the food was delicious, of course, but everyone was distracted. Close to half an hour later, the staff had almost completely cleared out, and now only a few other chefs were remaining. They waved goodbye to Chef Komatsu before they finally left. Finally Komatsu was left alone with the Kings.

"Thank you for the food." They told Komatsu.

"Thank you for your patronage." He told them. He hesitated, then he told them, "But it's nothing, really." But any denial was useless now. None of them were leaving until they got answers. With no other alternatives, Komatsu told them. "Well, the rumors are that the only reason that I'm in a partnership with Toriko, and that I am able to get all of the ingredients that I'm able to is because I'm-um-sleeping with you all." The last part came out in a rush, and he tried to laugh it off. "It's really ridiculous though." But suddenly it felt as if all of the oxygen in the room had vanished. Komatsu had never been on the receiving end of any of their intimidations, but now he had a very, _very_ good idea as to what it felt like.

"Who said that Komatsu?" Toriko demanded.

"That's not good at all Komatsu-kun." Coco said just as quickly. Coco managed to look taken aback and angry at the same time.

"That's just-'Matsu!" Sani sputtered while Zebra stewed in a wordless rage. If he said anything now then there was a damn good chance of something- probably a window- getting broken.

All of them were livid.

Except for Komatsu, who said, "It's not a big deal- really! It's not unusual for restaurants and chefs to spread rumors about one another." For some reason, Ootake's face popped into his head. "Some people just forget what running a restaurant is really about." The customers of course.

Komatsu also refrained from telling them that a similar rumor had been spread about him during his days at chef school. Of course it had died down, but Komatsu had always just assumed that he just had 'one of those faces' when it came to rumors like this. What that meant exactly was something he'd never bothered to think too closely about.

Sani responded first. "What do ya' mean 'no big deal'? You can't just let people say things like that!" Although, truth be told, he had imagined something like it more than just a few times- but hearing something like this made his hair curl. Multiple things that he might do to anyone that he caught saying those kinds of things crossed his mind. At the moment he felt more like Zebra than his usual beautiful self.

Komatsu said quickly, "I know that. It's unfair that anyone would say anything like that to you guys." The said earnestly. He sounded just as offended as they had.

And that certainly took the wind out of their sails as they tried to figure out exactly what Komatsu meant by that.

Zebra suddenly growled, "Dammit Kid, we don't care about people talking shit about _us_. _You_ should be getting mad about people talking a shit about yourself." Komatsu looked surprised at the suggestion, and Coco sighed.

"Please think about yourself more." he told him. Something like an intimate relationship with Komatsu-kun wasn't something that he would have taken lightly, and it certainly wasn't something that should have been used as slander.

"Eh?, but what's the point in getting mad about what other say when I can just refute it with my cooking skills?" Komatsu asked in his stubborn habit of not getting mad for his own sake. Zebra thought that he was a fucking moron for it, but it was one of the kid's traits that had grown on him. Sometimes the kid had the balls to stand up to him, and other times he redefined the term 'doormat'.

Toriko, who understood Komatsu better than anyone else there, carefully thought of his response. He knew that Komatsu would be unable to see it their way. He cared much more about them than he did himself and convincing him to get people to stop would have been a maddening process for everyone involved so instead he said,

"Yeah, you could shut them up with your cooking." Both Sani and Coco gave him a 'what are you doing?' look but he continued on, "But don't expect us to not be angry about it at all. We're Partners after all." And sometimes it was a line that he wanted to cross, but the fear of upsetting that balance that they already had in place always held him in check.

"Ok Toriko-san." Komatsu told him and it was hard to tell if he had really gotten it or not, but they let it drop for now, but woe to anyone that they actually heard spreading those kinds of lies. So Komatsu, small and earnest, left the Hotel Gourmet flanked by four of the most dangerous men in the world.

* * *

I'm pretty rusty when it comes to writing for Toriko, so I hope that this turned out well enough.

Anyway, until next time!


End file.
